Your Personal Guide To Purchasing A Laptop

Laptops can come in handy for many reasons. They can be used for just about anything from work to play. There are some things you should think about before you buy your next laptop. Continue reading to learn more about laptops and how you can get the one that you want.

Do not think that a more expensive laptop is a better laptop. This is certainly not always true. There are indeed times when the higher cost is due to nothing more than the brand name on the machine. Be sure that you're buying for specifications a laptop has and not its name.

If you are looking for what's new and hot in laptops, consider buying a convertible laptop. These laptops can act as a tablet (like Apple's iPad) and then snap right into a keyboard base with extended processing power to act as a fully powered laptop. These are very exciting products.

Battery life is an important consideration when you are considering the purchase of a laptop computer. Check how long the manufacturer says the battery will last, but keep in mind that your actual usage may affect this number. If you intend to use your laptop for more than 3 or 4 hours, plan on an extra battery or someplace to plug it in and recharge.

Size up your purchase. Small laptops usually have less features, but can fit in any size case. This makes them easy to carry. Large laptops are harder to stow, but have all the features. If the work you will be doing is processor intensive, you may want to go bigger.

Think about what any discounts you may qualify for from certain retailers. Some retailers offer senior discounts, student discounts and discounts for members of the military. The discount might be small, but it is worth it to use. When you are purchasing something as large as a laptop, a small discount goes a long way.

Consider safety as you purchase your laptop. There are many protective accessories which can keep your computer in tip top shape, such as a keyboard cover, screen protector or laptop carrying bag. If you invest in these pieces, you invest in the life of your computer, and it's worth it!

Don't buy laptops as an impulse buy. These are highly involved purchases that you really need to think about. Know what you want to use it for. Know how long you want it to last. Even know how often you expect to travel with it. All of these things should be considered in the buy.

If you have programs that you use frequently, add the shortcuts to your Start menu. When you find the one you need, do a right-click, and choose the option to "pin" it in your Start menu. The icon you need will now appear all the time in your Start menu options, rather than remaining in the All Programs folder.

To keep your battery life longer, consider how bright you need your screen to be during all hours of operation. If you can live with it being a little dimmer, choose the option that dims the display slightly after a set amount of time. That way your battery lasts longer, and your eyes have less light bombarding them.

Computer technology is changing constantly so find out what can be upgraded before you choose a laptop. You need to know if you can upgrade the CPU, hard drive and RAM. Some laptop computers have ports that allow you to save data on external storage devices. Find out if you can do these upgrades yourself or if you will need to go to a service center to have a technician do the installation.

To maximize your laptop security, use strong passwords that are difficult to guess or break. Several websites, such as Microsoft Security, offer free password checkers that will evaluate your password for strength. Store your passwords somewhere other than your laptop bag, so that if someone does run off with your laptop, they won't have your information too.

If you need to work on sensitive information in a place that is public, you should think about buying a screen guard. This will make it so that anyone that looks over your shoulder won't be able to see what is on the screen, but you will be able to see perfectly.

When deciding between a Mac and a PC, think about what you will be using it for. If you're using it to work with, then you should use the same OS as the other computers are using where you are. If you laptop is for home use, you should also choose the same OS as your home computers.

While laptop bags are great for carrying your laptop, make sure that you safely store your laptop. Before putting your laptop inside the carry-on bag, it is extremely important that the laptop is turned off. If the laptop is not turned off, it can melt and potentially catch on fire.

If you need a laptop for home use, a mid-range, mid-size computer will most likely meet your needs. A sufficiently sized laptop screen makes doing homework easier for your kids and searching the web easier for everyone. You do not have to buy a top-of-the-line computer unless you plan on hardcore gaming or using advanced features for work.

Focus on the OS that is available when you are purchasing a laptop. Mac computers do not use the same operating system as Windows laptops. Additionally, some laptops have Ubuntu or another operating system on them that can increase your hard drive space.

Don't forget to also shop online. Sure, it's exciting to shop in a retail store and play with the laptops first-hand. But online stores tend to have the better deals of the two. If you like the immediacy of the retail store, you may want to ask the retailer if they'd match the lowest online price. Some do.

When you have a laptop, there are certain things that you would like it to do. In order to make sure your computer is able to do what you want it to do, you have to consider a few things. Use what you learned in this article to help you make the best choice.